Juvenile Detention in Utah

When a kid gets into trouble with the juvenile court system in Utah and is remanded to detention, there are two options the judge has available at his disposal: locked detention or home detention. The type of detention the juvenile faces depends upon the severity of his or her actions.

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Locked detention is for youth who are waiting for adjudication, placement, or serving a sentence given to them by a juvenile court judge. One of the main reasons for being placed in locked detention is to protect delinquent youth who pose an immediate danger to themselves or others. You can be placed in locked detention if a juvenile court judge orders it or if you meet the Statewide Detention Admission Guidelines. Included in those guidelines are a broad list of holdable offenses, some of which are:

Auto theft

Home burglary

Assault

Sale and use of drugs

Armed robbery

Aggravated burglary

You should know that only a juvenile court can order a youth placed in locked detention, and a detention hearing is held within 48 hours of being put into a locked detention facility. The judge determines where the delinquent youth will be held depending on the judge’s assessment of whether or not the youth places a risk to himself or herself or to others and if the youth is at risk for not appearing in court.

The other option judges may use is home detention. When a youth is placed in home detention, he or she may only leave home to attend work or go to school and are under the supervision of the juvenile justice services department.

If you need juvenile defense help, contact a Utah attorney today who will make your case a priority.